Specifications

5-8 WS2000 Wireless Switch System Reference Guide
5.3.1 Selecting the Authentication Method
The authentication method sets a challenge-response procedure for validating user credentials such as
username, password, and sometimes, secret-key information. The WS2000 Wireless Switch provides two
methods for authenticating users: 802.1x EAP and Kerberos. The administrator can select between these
two methods. If WLAN security is not an issue, the administrator can decide not to enable authentication
(No Authentication), because authentication protocols create overhead for the switch’s processor.
5.3.2 Configuring 802.1x EAP Authentication
The IEEE 802.1x is an authentication standard that ties EAP to both wired and wireless LAN applications.
EAP provides effective authentication with or without IEEE 802.1x Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
encryption, or with no encryption at all. EAP supports multiple authentication measures. It requires that the
site have an authentication (Remote Dial-In User Service, or RADIUS) server on the wired side of the Access
Port. All other packet types are blocked until the authentication server verifies the client’s identity. To set up
802.1x EAP authentication:
1. On the Network Configuration --> Wireless --> <WLAN Name> --> <WLAN Name> Security screen,
select the 802.1x EAP radio button to enable the 802.1x Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP). The
802.1x EAP Configuration button is enabled.
2. Click the 802.1x EAP Configuration button to display a sub-screen for specific authentication settings.